The Man in Black
by JennyBlu
Summary: Aqua, a young woman who has lost her memories at the age of ten, has been having strange dreams. Now she must unravel them but what does Vanitas, a psychotic killer, have to do with them? And would a hot detective allow that?
1. Chapter 1

**JennyBlu:**This is my second fanfiction so go easy on me. I was having a huge writer's block on my first story _'In Honor of the Light'. _I was just in the mood of writing a mystery story so this is what I came up with. I must warn you that this fanfic will have fluff! My sister helped me with the plot, _**GenieLuv. I must thank her for that. Look at me rambling, on with the story =). **_

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS SO YEAH...**_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_The small girl stepped into the dark room. The door creaked slowly, making the girl grow nervous and scared to see what revealed inside the dark. Her young blue orbs lay upon two shadowy figures. One was on the wooden floor, laying still as if it was in a slumber. The other figure was standing on top of the body. It appeared that it was holding a sword that was drenched in blood. The moonlight reflected the red liquid, revealing that it was coming from the body that was laid on the wooded ground. She gave out a little squeak as the blood slithered down to her feet. The figure slightly turned its head towards the girl, showing amusement to the sounds of trembling whimpers. She flinched and grew afraid of the intruder. The figure than held up its sword to its face. She grew more afraid and cried softly. She saw the figure lick the tainted sword, tasting the blood of the victim. She saw that he was grinning, enjoying the savor of murder. The amber eyes of sin made her shiver in fright. He took a loud step-_

"Ahhh!" the young woman shirked. She huffed for air, touching her face down to her body to make sure that she was now in reality. The woman was now back in her room, leaving her nightmare behind. She let out a sigh of relief as she brushed her azure hair back. That was the third time this week that she had that peculiar nightmare. She clenched her blanket, frighten of the horror she had experienced. She had enough of this. She grew tired of screaming and sweating over a ridiculous dream that she had every time.

This nightmare would always replay in her mind ever since she was a child at the age of ten. It haunted her brain for years, giving her no explanation for these visions. But it was as if it were real to her, like a memory of some sort. In truth, she had no memories of her past. Normally a child would start remembering at the age of three, but to her she began at the age of ten. It was as if more than half of her childhood had disappeared, making her origins a mystery.

She recalled the day she started to remember. Oh yes, the feeling of the flakes hitting her delicate skin. The sound of snow crunching under her small body as she moved to get up was the first sound she remembered. Her first smell was the cold air around the atmosphere and her first taste was the blood that was slipping down her soft, pink lips. She fluttered her oceanic eyes as she absorbed her surroundings. She was in the middle of the forest that was blanketed by white coverings. Then her legs suffered in pain, following her head and the rest of her body system. It just grew dark after that but she felt something catch her before she impacted to the cold ground. A voice rang to her ears before she fully fell to another coma.

"_Aqua," _the voice whispered softly.

Ever since then, she adopted the name Aqua. It just made her care takers think that that was her real alias. It was the first word she said and she kept repeating it to herself. But why did she hear that? Why did the voice utter 'Aqua'? Why was she in the forest sleeping? Why was she bleeding? There are just so many questions that are left unanswered.

She clicked her tongue, shoving all her thoughts aside. She didn't want to hurt her little pretty brain of hers. She knew she couldn't answer her poll even if she tried. She sighed, giving up and stating that it was no use to recall that certain memory.

She flipped her covers off her body, revealing herself in a black shirt that dangerously reached to her upper thighs, almost revealing her dark blue panties. If she bended down she would then expose her underwear but she didn't care, it was her apartment; she could walk naked for all she cared. Aqua slipped out of her bed and touched the cold, dark oak wood below her sensitive feet.

She stretched her tensed muscles, waking them to start the day. She stared at the sunrise, revealing an orange-pinkish horizon that took her breath away. She felt the warm rays hit her skin, making her feel more alive. She began her day with a quick shower. The warm sensation of the steam exhilarated her skin. The warm water cleansed her body, washing the sweat and dirt off. She turned off the faucet and warped herself around a white towel.

She brushed her teeth and wiped the foggy mirror that was above the sink. She took a glance to her reflection. There was a young woman with blue short hair who had beautiful azure eyes with curly thick lashes and pink fluffy lips that looked kissable. But she didn't know that, she just saw a reflection of herself which wasn't a big deal to her. She saw herself every day.

She quickly stepped out of the bathroom and stepped in her room. She was grateful that the bathroom was connected to her bedroom. She didn't like stepping out of her room every time she had to use the laboratory. It was better to be closer; less travel. She felt the coldness quiver up her body, forcing her to shiver. It appeared that the window to the balcony was slightly opened due to the strong winds of autumn. She quickly closed it and this time she made sure to lock it.

She slipped out of her towel and walked to her closet. She picked out a white long sleeve and a cute red short skirt. She added black thigh high socks and a black long-line cardigan. As soon as she finished dressing up, she skipped out of her room to head to the kitchen. She quickly opened her refrigerator to grab the carton of orange juice. She took out a glass from her cabinets and poured the liquid inside.

She then shuffled toward the furniture side of the kitchen which was where the living room was. She sat down on her white couch in a proud expression. She liked her apartment; it was small and simple. The walls were made out of red bricks and the dark oak shined the floor. She decorated the living room with a white loveseat and a chaise lounge with a glass coffee table in the middle. The kitchen was just right there with its lovely granite island. Every room was just five steps away from each other. What she loved the most was that she had a perfect view of the town.

But it wasn't the look of the apartment that made her proud, it was how she lived. She had a great job, she lived by herself, and she was well supported financially. She always fended alone and she didn't ask for help. That was one of her favorite traits; she didn't mind being isolated from people. It was best to worry for oneself. That just showed how strong she was to sustain her life.

She continued to drink her juice in peace until she heard the daily news appear on the screen.

"BREAKING NEWS: A MAN WAS FOUND IN A DUMPSTER. HE WAS PRONOUCED DEAD BUT NO PROOF ON HOW HE WAS MURDERED. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND ON THE KILLER OR INFORMATION ABOUT ANY SUSPECTS."

"The third one this week," Aqua shivered as she placed her juice down. She had been hearing the news recently this week and the last five days there has been a killing spree in Transverse Town. If there had been a murder, it wouldn't be paid much attention to but these last three murders were odd. They were all found in a dumpster in some random alley. But it couldn't be the same killer, could it? Was the murderer trying to grab attention? That would be stupid.

The vibration of her phone flashed her into reality. She grabbed her phone in her pocket and flipped it to reveal the screen. It was text message from her friend Ventus.

_RECEIVED MSG: Ven: Breakfast at Sunrise Cafe?_

The blue haired giggled. She texted him back, agreeing with their meeting. She flipped over the couch and ran to the coat hanger to get her long black double breasted coat. She slipped her feet in a pair of black ankle boots and jingled her keys that were on the small desk near the exit. She left, leaving the television on.

"NEWS UPDATE: IT HAS BEEN CONFIMRED BY A WITNESS THAT THE KILLER WAS DISGUISED IN ALL BLACK. PLEASE CONTACT THE POLICE IF YOU SEE OR HAVE INFORMATION OF THIS MAN IN BLACK."

* * *

The autumn breeze hit her face as she was walking down the street. The trees were finally shedding their colorful coats and the temperature had decreased. She felt happy that it was soon about to be winter season. It would mean that it would snow and the environment would be dressed in white. It was a beautiful season which would be under the white spell for awhile.

It just reminded her about that day she woke up and how thankful she was for being alive again. She thought to herself that she was in a coma forever but when she finally opened her eyes, she was living again. If only she had met that stranger.

She crossed the street and hurried inside the café. She opened the door which caused the bell to ring. The place was in a circular shape and the room was colored in Persian orange, a famous color for interior design. The little small tables were black and the chairs had a French taste to it. The floors were well waxed, gleaming in rich, clean wood. Each table had a small lamp dangling on top but they weren't on.

She was relieved that it wasn't packed today; it usually was. Her blue orbs wandered around the place to search for her dear friend. It didn't take her long to spot him; he had the spikiest hair that outmatched the others. The guy was sporting a fern green sleeve that was rolled to his elbows and black jeans. His clothing was much fitted to his body, making him desirable to the girls.

She decided to surprise him since he didn't notice she was there due to the fact that he was turned away from the door. She tip toed behind him and smiled while he was reading the Transverse Daily. She breathed in through her nose and her hands fell on his eyes.

"Guess who~?" she cooed to his right ear.

"Aren't we a little too old for games?" he sighed, her hands making it difficult to rotate his face to hers. She chuckled, finally letting go of his vision. She took off her jacket and hanged it on her seat that was right across from the blonde boy. It was clear that he already ordered for himself. A cup of coffee was placed right in front of him.

"And my drink?" she sat down, curving her brow.

"Oh I'm sorry, do I have to order for the baby too?" he joked.

"Such a gentleman," she rolled her eyes.

She had a better look at her friend now. It was like they're eyes reflected each other; he had the same oceanic eyes as her. His golden blonde hair was spiked everywhere and she was curious on how he kept it that way. His golden bangs that hanged over his orbs made his face even and it defined his jaw line.

Ventus was like a brother to her. Ever since she moved to Transverse Town, he had always welcomed her; always kind and always caring. With his personality he had the whole package. She would call him handsome but his kind nature made him look cute.

"Hi guys!" the waitress greeted them. Aqua laid her azure eyes on a girl with brown hair that was spiked out on each side but she had two strands that grew to her shoulders. Her bright green eyes were so soft and her peach-colored skin grew bright as the rays reached her.

"How are you doing Olette?" Aqua greeted back.

"Oh you know the same with business," she waved, "So what can I get you?"

"A caramel latte with a chocolate chip muffin," she ordered.

"I'll get a coffee cake," Ven added to the list. Olette nodded and left them to make their orders. Ventus then went back to reading the newspaper.

"What'cha reading there?" she wondered, taking the newspaper from his hands.

"Hey!"

She looked at the page that was more important than her. She read the title, "THIRD VICTIM, WHO'S NEXT?" She groaned and grew tired on how everyone was rambling about these killings. It angered her that the police force still hadn't found the killer, let alone any suspects. They were just not trying hard enough.

"Did you hear about it in the news?" the boy wondered. "They said that a witness saw a man, fully dressed in black, strangling the victim. They're calling him 'The Man in Black'."

She rolled her eyes, "Like the nursery rhyme?"

"Yeah the one that goes like this-"

"Aren't we a little too old for rhymes too?" she stopped him by placing her palm to shut his mouth.

"Fine, don't hear my beautiful voice," he scoffed as he removed her soft hand on his face.

"Ven, we don't want to hear a cat dying in the early morning," she insulted him.

The waitress came back with their orders in a quick manner. "Here you go one latte and muffin, and a coffee cake for you. Make sure you eat slowly now, we don't want you to get a tummy ache," Olette ruffled Ven's hair, causing more spikes to form.

"Ha-ha, very funny," Ventus sarcastically joked. He was the youngest out of the both of them. The blue haired girl and the waitress started to laugh at his cute little pouty face. Suddenly Olette paused, showing shock in her eyes. She was staring at something on the table. Ven and Aqua than followed the direction she was staring at. It appeared that she was frowning at the newspaper that Ven was surveying.

"What's wrong?" Aqua questioned the distraught waitress.

"It's just that…." Olette stopped; it looked like she was having trouble with finishing the sentence.

"Come on Olette, you can tell us," Ven comforted her to keep on going.

"Last night I got a call," she began, "And it was from Hayner. He told me that he was the one that witnessed the attack from last night."

"What, what did he see!" Ventus pondered.

"Well," she gulped, "He told me that the guy was dressed in all black but he literally meant _**all **_black."

"Huh?" Aqua hinted.

"He told me it was like a skin tight suit or something and the guy covered his whole face with a black helmet," she clearly stated.

"Did he see who the victim was?" the blonde chewed his food.

"He told me that it was Seifer."

Ventus literally choked on his cake. Both Aqua and Ven stared at Olette to explain more about last night. Olette cleared her throat to break it down to them.

"Hayner told me that before the incident, he went to eat with Pence at 'Juicy Transverse Burgers' and he met with Seifer and his gang. They had a little altercation with each other so the owner kicked Seifer's gang out. Later on, Hayner left and while he was walking home, he heard someone screaming in an alley. He went to go check it out and he saw the Man in Black choking the air out of Seifer."

"This wasn't on the news or the newspaper," Aqua spoke out. She couldn't believe that it was Seifer who was murdered!

"They just updated right now," Olette declared. "Hayner ran to the police station and he told them everything."

"Whoa, I feel so sorry for Fuu and Rai," the blonde uttered.

"Yeah, thank goodness Hayner is alright," Aqua added.

"I'm worried about him," she sighed, "I've been trying to call him since then and he doesn't answer."

"Maybe he's still being questioned at the station," the blue haired girl thought.

"I hope so," Olette whispered. The waitress left to go back to work. Aqua and Ven sat there in shock; it was such an outrage that they knew one of the victims that were targeted this week. It hit them so unexpectedly, especially when one of their friends witnessed the scene. Aqua drank her latte to clear her dry throat.

"Oh man, this is why I tell you to lock your doors," Ventus pointed out.

"I always lock my doors," she told him.

"Good, you don't want a psycho in black tights coming through your door," the blonde sipped his coffee. They continued to eat their breakfast in peace. Aqua couldn't help but wonder who the next victim was. She now had to stay in high alert whenever she walked alone around town.

* * *

After their little get-together, Ventus decided to walk Aqua to her job. After knowing about Seifer's fate, he didn't want to risk Aqua to be in that situation. He made it such a big deal but Aqua couldn't help that he was right. She didn't want to walk all the way down all by herself, especially when she was wearing a skirt. Ven scowled her for that.

"I mean it's almost the end of fall and you're wearing a skirt when it's damn windy outside!"

"Sorry 'Dad' for being stylish," she grumbled. He always had to play the overprotective friend that she never had. But it was sometimes a good thing; he made her see how sinful the world is. As they continued to walk for another ten blocks, Aqua decided to change the subject.

"I had that dream again," she murmured to him.

"You seriously need to go to a therapist," he eyed her. She had told him about her dreams and what were they about. It was nice to have someone to talk to her about these things. If there was one thing that Ventus was useful at, he was a very good listener.

"And what, tell me that I'm crazy," she laughed.

"Well they could help interpret them," he retorted. "So did your dream go further?"

"No, it will always stop to the part when the guy takes his first step towards me," she responded with a tired tone. Throughout the years, her dreams revealed themselves piece by piece. She knew sooner or later that her vision would continue on. She desperately wanted to know what happened next but it was a mystery when it would continue. All she knew was that she would always have those dreams. She wanted to know who they were and why was there a murder. Her patience was running out.

"I really just want to go to sleep in peace but then again I want to know what happened!" she groaned in annoyance.

"Why won't you just take sleeping pills," he suggested.

"Didn't you just hear me, I want to know what happens at the end," she poked his bright head.

"Why, it's just a nightmare."

"How can I put this," she tapped her finger to her lips, "It's like a murder book; you want to know who's the killer and in order to do that you have to read till the end."

"Nah, I just skip to the end," he yawned.

"But that's no fun," she pouted, "Besides; this might help me regain some memories."

His face softened after that. He let out a gentle smile which made Aqua fluster a bit. He was teasing her; he always innocently grinned at her like that. It made her feel embarrassed. She gave him a small shove in the shoulder and continued to walk. They continued giving each other small pushes until they reached a fancy flower shop.

"Well I guess I'll see you later Ven," she chirped.

"Yeah say hi to Aerith for me," he waved good-bye to his dear friend. "Oh and be careful walking at night!"

As soon as he disappeared in the crowd, she went inside to start her job. As she came in, the whole shop was filled with different types of plants. The fresh smell intoxicated her nose and the cool air made her feel welcomed. Every flower was on display, but the most prize procession was the rarest of them all. There it stood in the middle on a white marble pillar where the lighting made it flourish in beauty, the red Kadupul rose.

This flower is so rare due to the fact that it had a short life span. This flower would blooms before midnight. Its rich red color looked breathtaking and how its petals below the rose spiked out like a star. The owner of the shop, Aerith, would always water it every day and made sure it had enough sunlight. It seemed that she was the only one that would breed these types of flowers, making them very expensive.

"There you are!" Aerith hollered. Aqua hung her black coat on the hanger and skipped towards the cash register where her boss was spotted. She was a nice girl, not to mention her physical delicacy. Her eyes were the brightest emeralds and her brunette bangs framed her long face. She would always wear that pink ribbon that drew back her hair in a swirly braid. She was dressed in dusty pink sheer strap dress that was an appropriate length and light brown boots.

"Hey Aerith," Aqua smiled. Her boss was such a kind girl. She was very outgoing and so happy with her chirpy voice. Aerith radiantly smiled which warmed Aqua's heart. No matter what, you can never stay mad at her.

"Let's start watering the plants shall we," Aerith walked around the counter and grabbed two watering buckets. She handed her one and commenced to nourish the thirsty flowers on the right. Aqua followed her.

"So did you hear the news?" she wondered.

Aqua did a face-palm and dragged her hand down her face. She was developing a migraine whenever she had to discuss the horrid event. Why was everyone so interested in murder?

"I'll take that as a yes," the brunette laughed.

* * *

The sun was already setting down the horizon. It seemed so fast to Aqua that it was already the end of the day. They had a decent amount of customers today and the flowers were perfectly groomed. Aerith continued to talk about The Man in Black which annoyed the crap of her. Aqua's ears were listening to Aerith sing the little rhyme and she literally drilled it to her brain.

"_Scary man, don't be mad_

_If you leave I won't be bad _

_I'll go to sleep, so watch me dream_

_And I'll never ever cry a scream_

_But if I wake and squeak a crack_

_I'll see your face, The Man in Black"_

It made Aqua shiver a bit whenever she heard that song. But it was just a little rhyme that made little children sleep. There was no Man in Black, except for the killer that took in the identity as him. Now that made her have chills; seeing a psycho kill people black tights. Not a very pretty sight to see.

Aqua grabbed her coat and bid a farewell to Aerith. She was always that last one to lock up since she had to wait for her boyfriend to pick her up. As Aqua stepped out, she felt that the cold night was about to begin. She put her hands in her pockets and strolled down the sidewalk. It was going to be a long way back to her apartment.

* * *

The young man grunted in pain as he was being choked. The man raised his body against the wall, still having a strong grip on his throat. The night sky hid them in the dark shadows of the alleyway. The victim was struggling to detach the strong hands on his neck but it seemed he was no match to the attacker.

"It seems I have a rat to deal with," the assaulter growled.

"I-I'm… s-sorry," the boy tried to breathe out. He couldn't handle the pressure; his lungs were running out of air. The man soon let him go and dropped him on the dirty, wet concrete. The young man's lungs reached for air but coughed. The man then growled and pulled the victim by the hair. He rammed him to the brick wall once again and grew impatient.

"Hayner is it?" the attacker questioned.

"Y-yeah?" the blonde gulped. The predator grew disgusted at the sight of his prey. He was a young boy with spiky, disheveled blonde hair and brown terrified eyes. His neck was starting to bruise up and he was whimpering like a little kid. His eyes were pleading for mercy and that disgusted him even more.

"Geez, you're no fun," he sighed, "I might as well kill you now."

"**NO!**" Hayner begged, "Please don't!"

"Oh, so what are you suggesting huh?" the man smacked his face to answer.

"I-I don't-"

"Sure you do," he pulled his blonde hair, causing him to hiss. "Look dude, if you don't answer then I'll just make this quick."

"Please don't kill me!" he cried, "**PLEASE!**"

Suddenly, a ringtone vibrated in the pockets of the trembling target. The attacker groaned in annoyance and slipped his hand in his jean pockets. He grabbed the cell phone and wondered who interrupted him from slaughtering the kid. To his delight, it was a girl.

"Ohhh~, who's Olette?"

"**Don't you dare!**-"

"Whoops," he flipped open the phone. He stayed silent until she spoke to the speaker.

"Hello? Hayner?" she spoke softly.

"…"

"It's me, Olette... Come on Hayner; pick up your damn phone!"

"…"

"….look, call me back. I want to know what happened to you in the police station," she urged. "Please, I want to know how you're holding up."

"…"

"….BEEEEEEEEP"

"Well what do ya' know, you got something worth the entertainment," the attacker gloated.

"Leave her out of this!" the blonde fumed.

"Hey I got a deal for you," the man released his grip on the blonde hair. Hayner then yelped as he landed hard on the ground once again. "I'll let you live and watch you suffer when I kill this Olette girl."

"**NOOO, DON'T!**"

"Hey, you can watch it all over the news too. Maybe that'll teach you not to snitch," the man laughed. The blonde clutched on the man's black boots, trying his best to keep him from hurting his friend. The guy kicked him deck on the face causing him to fall into a knockout.

"I'll just keep your phone," the attacker wiggled the device. As the man stepped into the dim light, his appearance was revealed. He was dressed in a skin tight suit that had red lining. His black helmet had black glass that covered his face. His muscles moved as he walked off in the blackness, remaining unseen. He was headed for the girl, to kill her to make the little runt suffer. You couldn't see a smile form on his face, but he let out an evil snicker as he walked out and left the young man unconscious.

* * *

The young woman was cleaning up her café. After a hard day's work, she ended it by fixing the place for the next day. She had finished washing all the dishes and counting the money that she had earned throughout the day. She gave out a tired huff as she started to wipe all the round tables. She clenched the drenched towel to scrub the wooden board. She wanted to finish as soon as she can to talk to Hayner. The first time he answered her millionth call, he didn't even bother to answer. She had to lecture him for keeping her worried the whole day.

She finally reached the last desk but a sudden knock startled her. She her immediately glanced the glass entrance to see who was stupid to knock. The sign read closed and the guy didn't even bother to look at it. The lights were really dim so it was clue that the place was not in service for the rest of the night.

The guy kept knocking for the woman to answer him. She grew a little anxious as she stepped closer to be visible to the man outside. He was wearing black trench coat that hid his whole body and it appeared that he covered his face with a black hood.

"It's closed," she informed him, loud enough to hear through the other side. The creep just kept knocking, making her feel very uncomfortable. She really didn't want to open the door for him so she just headed a little bit closer to the exit.

"IT-IS-CLOSED," she pointed to the sign that was hung on the glass door. The mysterious guy just continued to knock as if he didn't hear her clearly. Now she got frustrated; he was doing this on purpose. She decided to unlock the door and tell him face-to-face this time; big mistake.

"Hey **creep**! Didn't you just hear me its close-"

She gasped as he pulled his hood down, revealing a tinted glass helmet that mirrored her horrid reflection. He instantly grabbed her skinny neck. She cried as he roughly pushed her inside the café, causing the little bell above to ring. She kept screaming, praying for someone to hear her in trouble.

"Your cries are really provoking," he emitted. "Sorry to bring your hopes down but no one is going to rescue you."

"I'll scream l-louder!" she threatened.

"Jeez, you are _so_ pathetic. When someone tells you that it's no use, it doesn't mean to be rude to your killer. You have to play the victim; it makes it _fun_ for me to kill you."

"Please don't kill me!" Olette pleaded for mercy.

"That's what your 'boyfriend' said," he sang. Her eyes widened, confused of what he meant by the term 'boyfriend'. The man raised his free hand, holding a green cell phone that had a yellow 'X' keychain attached to it.

"It couldn't be," she whined, "That's-"

"Hiner's"

"It's **HAYNER**!" she shouted. He tightened his grip, insulted that she yelled back at him. She grunted as it was getting impossible to breathe.

"Sorry, I'm not really good with names," he joked.

"What did you do to him!"

"Oh _nothing_," he cackled, "He just wants me to kill you instead of him."

"No…" she wept, "you're lying!"

"Hah, he begged for mercy like a little bitch. He was no fun so might as well kill someone that is close to him," he laughed, "or _was_ close to him."

"NOOOOOO, PLEASE!" she whimpered.

"Let's turn off the lights, shall we?" The lights of the café shut off, with screams of pain overspread the air. No one could hear the cries of the girl that was being tortured in the dark, and the laughs of the mad man enjoying her suffer.

* * *

The moon was placed in its position; in the middle of the atmosphere. The winds had grown stronger throughout the walk back to her apartment. It was getting late now and she couldn't wait to open the door to her warm apartment. She didn't like it when she had to walk alone but soon she would meet up with her friend. Whenever Aqua walked home, she would always spot Olette closing up the café. Then they would walk with each other and it would make them feel safer when they were together.

Aqua crossed the street, walking faster to reach the café. She was expecting her friend to lock the doors as she arrived there, but there was a twist. Aqua stopped as she didn't catch her friend in front of the door. The lights of the café were off and the closed sign was already up. It was weird that Olette wasn't here waiting for Aqua. Usually when she finished cleaning the place, she would wait inside for her blue headed friend or if she wanted to go home early she would call Aqua telling her that she wouldn't be at the café.

'_Maybe she wanted to leave to talk to Hayner,' _Aqua thought. Yeah that could be it; maybe she rushed to Hayner's place to check on him. She did say he wasn't answering his phone so it would be like Olette to go see if he was alright.

'_Man, I really don't want to walk alone,' _she sighed. As she shuffled slowly to continue her walk, she heard a crashing noise inside the café. Her blue orbs turned to see what was going on, but it was too dark. She walked closer to the windows and squinted. It was still unclear for her vision to catch a glimpse inside.

"Olette?" she uttered. Maybe Olette was still inside, waiting for Aqua. It was too cold out to stay outside. Aqua walked to the entrance, hesitating to push inside. She had a strange feeling in her stomach, as if something was wrong with this picture. Her gut was telling her to just keep walking and never look back but her curiosity was straining her to check it out. She ignored her instincts and pushed forward.

To her surprise, it was unlocked; that screamed danger. Olette would never leave her place open like that, no one would. As she opened the door gently, the glass hit the golden ringer which made Aqua shut her eyes. She was trying to be discrete and the damn dinger called her out. She cautiously stepped in deeper and looked around; everything seemed to be in check.

"Olette?" she called softly, "are you in here?" Her steps echoed whenever her small heels tapped on the floor. She finished absorbing the area and it was clear; Olette was not here.

"I guess she just forgot to lock the door," Aqua implied. She turned towards the door, ready to lock it and leave, but she heard another noise. It wasn't a crash, it was like a groan. She dropped her fingers from the lock and twisted her head. Her eyes were wandering around to check where it was coming from. The painful groans were coming from behind the counter. She stalked to the register, taking cautious to what she would find behind the counter.

The cried were getting louder, causing Aqua to breathe heavily with every step. She swallowed hard and took a peek on what was behind the small barrier. Her blue eyes widened as she panted silently. Olette was on the floor, spilling out a pool of blood. Her skin had small cuts and bruises. She coughed out more blood and heaved heavily for oxygen.

"Olette!" her friend screamed in horror. She scurried around the counter and fell beside her hurt companion. She checked her pulse to see if her heart was stable. She puffed out air when she heard her heartbeats. She stood up and felt her fingers be drenched in the girl's blood.

"A-A…q-qua," the girl stuttered.

"Oh my gosh Olette, I'm gonna go get help-"

"Look out!"

Aqua turned to see a guy coated in all black. He tilted his head, shining his glassy helmet to her. She backed away in a heartbeat but slammed her back to the hard, Persian orange wall. It was him, it was the killer that everyone was fussing over about, and the murderer that threw Seifer in the dumpster, the man that harmed Olette.

"She had bad customer service," he joked, "Are you any better?"

He placed his elbow on the counter and leaned his head on his hand. The other hand was tapping fingers on the surface. He was eyeing her very closely. It was as if he was looking at her impatiently; he wanted her to do or say something. Even if she couldn't see his murderous eyes, she knew that he was checking her out. She looked for an escape plan and she found a knife that was on another counter. She wanted to grab it but he knew what was going on.

He hopped over the counter and towered over her. He was pretty tall and his hard chest pressed onto her. She felt his masculine body suffocate her, making her feel tight.

"Hey did anyone tell you not to wear a skirt, it's really damn windy," he grabbed her face as she fought back. The man caught her fluster a bright pink on her cheeks. He could feel her tense up as he stroked her face down to her neck.

"Ah, puberty does so much," he mewed. She tried to push back but his heavy built would lean in deeper. She was in a very uncomfortable situation but she had to fight back. She looked in the corner of her eyes and saw that the knife was really close to her. She slowly reached for the weapon, trying not to alert the guy. She had to distract him before he caught her on the act.

"Why did you do this to Olette?" she questioned.

"I'm over her," he continued to brush her pale soft skin, "let's talk about you."

She glared at him with her stunning eyes. She wanted answers if she was going to play this little game.

"Oh, don't be jealous now," he grinned, "it was just a one-night stand."

Her hand grew closer to the knife; she had to stall him more.

"Why are you killing people?" she pondered.

He breathed in before he answered. "I'm looking for someone that's lost, can you help me?"

'_Almost there…" _her hand slithered to the blade, grabbing it firmly.

"I'll pay you back~," he fingered her pillow-like lips. She had enough; she pulled the knife out from the handle and drilled its sharp point in his flesh. He let go of his grasp and pulled back in an instant. He covered his wound but red liquid dripped on the floor. He hissed in pain as he leaned on the counter for support.

Aqua took advantage of the opportunity and grabbed her phone. She dialed 911 and backed away to the other side of the place. She stilled had the bloody knife in her hands, wielding it up in case the guy did something funny.

She then heard him evilly snicker underneath his helmet. He found it funny that he was stabbed and bleeding to death? This guy was a psycho!

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! I didn't expect that," he applauded her, "you're better than I thought."

She started to talk on the phone, "Hello officer… send a squad and ambulance to the Sunrise Café immediately, the Man in Black is here."

"I really hate that they already labeled me," he scoffed. He started to limp over the counter, still bleeding and putting pressure on the wound. She backed away a little more but stopped as he was heading towards the exit. As he pulled the glass door, he turned around to face her one more time.

"Call me," he waved and rushed out of the room. She stood there, not knowing what to do. She now realized what had happened; her friend was dying slowly on the floor, leaking blood, she had just faced the killer, and now she was holding the bloody knife that had wounded the escaped assaulter. She had finally let go of the blade and broken down. She slid to the ground, shaking to the sight of the scene. The young woman was a rattled that she had survived. What if she didn't think fast enough, would she have died like the others? Would she have been the fourth victim?

She was heaving in air and out, as if it was her last breath. Her tainted, trembling hands traveled to her chest, moving up and down to the rhythm of her rapid panting. At last, she had let out a dreadful shriek as the sirens sounded the air to cover her cries.

* * *

SO WAS IT GOOD OR WHAT? I am really into those mystery types of stories! Well if have any questions, don't hesitate to ask =D

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE THAT!**

**PS: I JUST FINISHED MY_ ICE CARAMEL LATTE FROM DD'S _**_(YOU GUYS SHOULD TRY IT)_** AND IT REALLY MAKES ME WANT TO WRITE MORE SO CHAPTER 2 IS COMING SOON!**


	2. Chapter 2

**JennyBlu:** Hey guys! Finally Kingdom Hearts 3D came out! I am so excited but I don't of a 3DS so I'm screwed! Oh well... Sorry it took me so long to update, I wanted it to be good so when I finished I was like "Oh Yeah the readeres are going to like this one!" Finally Terra makes it in here, YAY! I'm really a Terra fan because he is H-O-T! Well, READ ON MY READERS =)

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN KH BECAUSE I AM NOT AS AWESOME AS **T****etsuya Nomura**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

She hadn't slept for three days now. She just couldn't take it all in and her fear of just shutting her eyes for five seconds was harassing her. She kept herself isolated in her room, recalling what had happened at the night of the scene. Everything just happened so fast for her.

_**Flashback**_

_The police had rushed in, not hesitating to grab her out of the scene. She wasn't crying nor was she angered, she was frighten. One of the cops had dropped down to the floor, grasping her in his arms. He brushed her hair to ease her trembling. She dug her nails into his arm, listening to his heartbeat._

"_Shhh, it's okay now," he whispered under his warm breath. As she was clutched to his body, she took a peek of what was happening. She literally didn't hear anything and everyone was moving slowly. The medics dragged the stretchers inside and headed towards the direction that the cops were pointing to. The paramedics rushed behind the counter and tended to the victim. As soon as they checked her pulse, they placed her in the stretcher carefully and pulled wheeled Olette out of there._

_Aqua then saw that the cops were looking around, taking pictures and talking on their radios attached to their chest. She didn't notice that her body had risen from the ground. She was still attached to the cop that was caring for her. It seemed her was carrying her out of there for the cops to do their duties. Then she was looking at the knife that was on the floor. It was very far away from her, making her feel vulnerable as she was lifted outside._

_They called in more back up as she sat there in the back of the ambulance truck. They had placed a blanket over her as they finished checking her health. She heard the two medics talking to the cop that had dragged her out of the café. She could hear the whisper her condition to the guy._

"_She's in a state of shock, but she is recuperating slowly," the woman said._

"_We should take her to the hospital," the other one suggested._

"_No," the officer nodded, "I'll deal with her." She couldn't hear the argument but at the end, they agreed with the officer. He gave a 'Thank you' nod and headed straight towards the disheveled woman. As he approached her, she clenched her blanket closer to her and lowered her gaze._

"_Aqua, right?" he questioned._

"_Y-yes," she muttered, keeping her gaze to the ground. It was then that a hand appeared to her sight. She moved her blue orbs up to face the man that held out his hand to her. He was nothing that she imagined a cop to be. Rather than having a buzz cut, he had long hair that had a tint of silver. His marine eyes glowed with sincerity and had a soft look to it. Instead of having a blue police uniform, he wore a black sleeve and dark jeans. He had his badge tied around his neck and had his police belt that held his gun and other gadgets. The thing that really surprised her was that he was young, probably the same age as her. Most importantly he was very handsome. _

"_My name is Riku," he spoke, raising his hand to her to shake it. She accepted and shook it in a loosely manner. He sighed in relief which made Aqua have a confused look._

"_I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure that you were finally out of shock," he rubbed his head. "Since you shook my hand I would take it as a sign that you're stable."_

"_Oh," she rasped._

"_I just wanted to let you know that we rushed your friend to the hospital and that she made it on time," he smiled._

"_Oh, thank goodness," she sighed in joy. She felt like a heavy burden was lifted right off her chest. The most important thing to her was that Olette was alright._

"_Yeah, she lost a lot of blood, but they did a transplant and it was successful."_

"_That's good news," she smiled weakly, "so, now what?"_

"_Well, first let's get you home," he responded. He walked her to his car which was a black Chevy Camaro. He opened the passenger door for her and slammed it until she got comfortable. Her eyes followed him to the driver's side of the car until he got inside. He turned the ignition on and pressed on the gas slowly. He was driving up the street, avoiding the other cars that were blocking his way._

"_Just go straight and-"_

"_I know where you live," he grinned. "While you were getting checked, I took the liberty of looking at your file."_

_She turned her face to the window. She felt violated that he had gone through her personal file. These damn cops would check her on whole life and private information. Riku knew that she was uncomfortable about him scanning her file. She tensed up a bit and she turned her head away from his sight._

"_I'm sorry," he drawled, "its part of the job."_

_She gave a simple 'Hmph' as a response and turned her head forward. At least she wasn't looking away from him. The rest of the drive home was silent. He parked in front of her building and turned off the engine. He rushed out and opened her door. She stepped out slowly and they commenced to walk inside._

_As they reached inside, Riku spotted the elevator and walked ahead of her to press the button. When she reached the door, it slid open and they both entered inside. She was going to punch the tenth floor button but he beat her right to it. She gave him a cold stare that made him give out a cheeky grin._

"_Great, you know where I live too," she rolled her eyes._

"_Sorry, that's also part of-"_

"_Your job, yeah, yeah," she finished his sentence._

"_You know," he chuckled, "for a girl that was just in shock, you're really having an attitude towards cops."_

"_Well, I don't like people snooping around my life," she simply stated._

"_Maybe, it's just for your well being."_

_They finally made it to her floor and they walked down the hall to her place. She was going to put her keys but instead she twirled around to face the officer. He blinked as the woman faced him with a serious expression._

"_Well, we're here," she blurted in a low voice. "Are you going to tell me what's next?"_

"_Oh yeah," he remembered. He puffed out a hot breath and began to explain the process. "We're going to investigate the crime scene and in a few days a detective is going to call you in for questioning."_

"_And Olette?" she pondered._

"_She will stay in the hospital and be questioned there," he responded._

_She lowered her gaze and felt disappointed. She wanted them to catch the psycho now before he has another chance of finding her. She wanted them to do something now or protect her at least._

"_The good news is that I called ahead and informed your boss that you wouldn't be working until you're ready to do so," he grinned, hoping that she was alright with that._

"_And now you know where I work at," she murmured._

"_Hey, this is all for your protection," he spoke in a serious but soft manner._

_Now she felt bad. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that… I'm just r-really scared."_

"_Hey," he placed his hands on her shoulders, "it's going to be alright now. You and your friend are in good hands."_

_She gave a nod and he let go of her. She returned to her door and entered the key. She unlocked her door and entered. Before she could close it, she wanted to thank him for looking after her._

"_Um, thank you," she uttered._

"_No problem," he chirped, "if there's anything you need just give me a call."_

_He handed her a card that had his name and phone number. She took it with gratitude as if she would call him if she needed anything. As she was closing the door, she caught him wave at her before he made his way to the elevator. When she heard the door click closed, she fell against the door, leaning there until she heard him really leave._

_She dropped her keys on the edge of the table but it fell down. She trudged to her room in the dark, not bothering to pick up her keys or turning on the lights. She slammed her door opened and dropped her coat on the floor. She then peeled out of her clothes, leaving them all over the ground. She took out a large black sweater from her closet and slipped into it. She didn't bother putting any pants or shirt; she just slumped to the side of her bed, just like she did to her clothing._

_She leaned against her bed, hugging her knees together. She smelled her skin under her nose and grew disgusted. The scent of blood was still attached to her like a sin. She wanted it to go away desperately but she didn't want to shower. It felt comfortable to stay in that spot, cuddling her legs and feeling safe. She glanced at the digital clock that was on her nightstand._

"_3:15 AM," she read to herself. She stayed there for another fifteen minutes, staring into space with a blank expression. She couldn't fall asleep… actually she wouldn't fall asleep. She was scared, depressed, and alone. She asked herself, why does this happen to good people? Olette didn't do anything to deserve this; even Seifer didn't deserve to die. You can't just play God and decided to end lives._

_It was insane that a man would just do it for his own amusement. It made her sick to her stomach that there are people who try to pretend like they are the judge of people's lives. It just shows how corrupted the world could be. Her vision blurred and a drop of water fell down her cheek. Would she ever feel safe again?_

_**End of Flashback**_

Her cheeks were dried now due to the fact that she couldn't produce any more tears. She was still curled in a ball and she hadn't move. She hadn't eaten a thing since then. Her appetite was lost for a few days. She never stood up to stretch her aching muscles nor did she ever sleep. She never took her eyes off the floor and her clothes were still spread everywhere.

This wasn't healthy for her. If she continued on like this, would she end up in a deep slumber again? She shrugged, not caring about her well being. She did want to know how everyone else was doing. She heard her phone vibrate multiple times throughout her days of isolation. Most of them were probably from Ventus. She hadn't seen anyone since then and they probably knew something was wrong. Aerith probably told them though so it was okay.

How much time did she need though? Can she ever get out of here? She felt the brick walls closing in on her, making her breathe in large amounts of air. She felt it getting colder here, making her toes and fingers numb. She didn't feel safe anymore and it poked her every second. It bugged her that the guy could come here any second and just kill her off without anyone knowing.

He could find out where she lived, heck he found out where Olette worked at. He could be a professional stalker and find out where everyone lives. It ached her brain just thinking about it! His mask made her anxious and afraid what was underneath. He could have a hideous face or the ones that were creepy looking that screamed out 'psycho'. Her body gave out small quivers, making her want to throw up at the sight of him.

It was slowly getting darker now. Her vision was acting very strange and her body literally felt heavy. Her head was drifting away in darkness and she felt her mouth drooling. Her eyes blinked several times to see what time was it.

"3:15… AM," she struggled. She couldn't take it anymore; she was falling asleep. Her body had enough and it was giving in. Her eyes were burning red and she felt no blood circulating in her veins. Her body trembled, begging her to retire. She was hearing things now, whispering in her ears.

"_Just close your eyes…" _

She was attracted by that sweet voice. It was lulling her to sleep and it achieved its pursuit. Her mind and body stopped fighting, freeing her soul. She let go of herself and she drowsed on something hard yet warm and comforting. The voices continued to purr in thoughts but it was hard to listen to.

The last thing she caught was, _"You'll be alright…"_

* * *

_She batted her lashes up and down, looking at her window. It was still dark outside, the way she remembered it the last time she was awake. She turned over to face the ceiling. It was strange that she was under something soft instead of something cold and rough. She rose up and looked at the ground. She found herself on her bed; no wonder her back was not feeling sore. She rubbed her eyes to see what time it was again._

"_11: 30 PM," she whispered. She stretched her arms out, cracking her bones and easing them. She was completely charged now so she decided to finally eat something. She removed herself from her mattress and walked out of her room. It hurt her eyes to see only blackness in her apartment. She turned on lights of the living room which hurt her eyes even more. _

_It took her a while to get accustom to the brightness. She walked to the small table beside her couch while held a vase of red roses and her telephone. Her phone was blinking the number '15' which identified the number of voice messages she had received._

"_Might as well listen to it," she sighed. She moved forward to press on the play button. As she pressed it, the voice machine commenced._

"_**FRIDAY 11:15 AM**__: Hey it's Ven, I called your cell but you don't answer. Call me later okay!"_

"_**FRIDAY 4:25 PM:**__ It's Aerith… I told Ventus what happened to you and he went ballistic. I'm sorry if you didn't want to tell anyone, but he kept bugging me so… call me if you need anything."_

"_**FRIDAY 7:10 PM:**__ I'm really trying to not scream on the phone right now. Just let me ask you this; why didn't you call me?"_

_The rest of the voice mail was Ventus screaming at her to pick up the phone and answer the door. She received some from her friends as well stating that if she needed anything then they would be there. One was also from the hospital informing her about Olette and that she is doing fine. She was finally up the last one which was very recent._

"_**SUNDAY 2:56 PM:**__ Yes, this is Detective Terra from the police department informing you that we need to start questioning you about the case, how about tomo-"_

_The voice mail had stopped functioning. It had turned off suddenly and cut off the last voice mail. Aqua clicked the pushed down the play button but nothing was happening. She tugged on the cable, revealing that it was disconnected to the outlet. She soon felt someone's arms slithering around her waist, tightening the grip. She shivered as she felt the person's head nest to her ear._

"_You never called me," he murmured. His hand traveled up to her neck. In a second, her body was rammed to the wall with brute force. The air was knocked out of her lungs and she yelped as the sharp affliction traveled all around her spine. He was crushing her throat, letting no air come through. She gritted her teeth as she was trying not to give in but it was difficult when he was compressing her to pop like a balloon. _

_She was this close to unconsciousness until he turned his gaze to the opposite direction. He slipped his fingers off her neck which made her slam to the floor, choking for oxygen._

"_W-what… the hell!" she coughed. He tormented her by slowly killing her but at the last second he stopped. He ignored her comment and walked towards the small table. She discovered that he was fascinated by the red roses that were placed inside the glass vase. He was brushing the petals very delicately._

_He then pulled out one of the pile and observed the plant. It was as if he never saw a flower before. The color of the red petals reflected on his mask. He twirled it around a bit to get the full texture of the beautiful flower. He finally stopped gazing on the rose and brought his attention on the blue headed woman._

_He creepily shifted his head towards her, making her blanch. He stepped towards her as she cowered back against the wall. As he kneeled to face her, she raised her arms to avoid the blow he was about to impact on her skin. After waiting for a few seconds, she took a peek on what was holding him back. It appeared that he was still withholding the rose in between in his black fingers._

_She lowered her arms to see what was going on with him and that flower. He tilted it forward to her direction. It was as if he wanted her to have it. He waited there for five seconds and she took it as a signal to grab the plant. She hesitantly took it by the root, feeling the soft texture._

_In that very moment, she had a small flashback. In her memory, someone gave her the exact same rose but instead of him, it was someone else. Her small hands of when she was a child mimicked the same exact action she just did when she clutched the green root. Then another white flash appeared in her eyes._

* * *

The blue haired woman batted her eyes opened in one shot. She jumped up as soon as she gained consciousness. She took a deep breath as she looked around to see if the Man in Black was still here. She was in her room, lying on her bed once again. It was like déjà vu; instead she woke up when the sun glittered outside from her window.

Aqua stepped out of her bedstead quietly and looked out the window. It seemed that everyone was outside, walking to where ever they had to be. She looked at her clock and it was 12:12 in the afternoon.

"No wonder everyone is out now," she uttered. She touched her cold window, looking at the happy people that were walking. She wanted to go outside now; it was time to get some fresh air. If she stayed inside any longer, she would go insane.

"That dream," she shivered. It seemed so real to her though, and that little flashback appeared out of nowhere. Was it like a memory or was it a lie? She growled in frustration and slammed her fist on the hard window.

"What does this all mean?" she chewed. Her earlobes perked up on the sound of her door knocking. She bolted up and looked at the direction the sound was coming from. The door kept banging, waiting for someone to answer. She slowly wandered to her bedroom door, taking a small peek to see if anyone was in her apartment.

No one was there to her satisfaction so she marched right out of her room. She whipped her head to the entrance as it kept beating loudly. She stalked quietly to the door so the outsider couldn't hear if anyone was inside. She really wanted to see who it was from the other side.

"_Maybe its Ven," _she thought. Maybe it was time to answer the door and have a visitor. She did have to explain what had happened to her and why she didn't pick up his calls. She took this chance to finally have her friend comfort her.

Aqua opened the door in one shot and looked straight to her visitor. Right in front of her ocean orbs was a buffed chest. Well, this guy sure wasn't Ventus; this guy was too tall to be her blonde friend. Aqua narrowed her eyes up to find that her visitor was a stranger, but not any ordinary stranger.

The tall young man had a nice tan skin tone which was perfect for his blue eyes. His brown hair traveled to the back of his neck and it was styled in a messy look. His spikes were vertical and his bangs framed his face. He wore a tight, charcoal brown hooded pullover that flashed his muscular physique and dark denim jeans. When Aqua meant he was no ordinary stranger, she meant on his looks. He was… handsome.

"Uhhh…" was all that came out of the pink flustered woman.

"Hello, I'm Detective Terra from the police department," he announced himself. "I was beginning to think that you wouldn't answer."

"…"

"Um, are you alright?" he batted his long lashes as he tilted his head, making Aqua melt.

"… Oh, I'm sorry," she snapped out of her trance, "What was your name again?"

"I'm Detective Terra, I'm here to question you about the incident," he explained.

"Oh, I apologize. It's just that I don't get random visits," she rubbed the back of her head.

"Well, if you picked up your phone, this visit wouldn't have been random," he implied as he put his hands in his pockets.

"_Smartass," _she hissed mentally. Why do all the handsome men have to have a smart mouth? It was first Ventus, then the cop Riku, and now this guy. She squinted at him, giving an intimidating look. He just smiled, showing no fear at her stunning eyes.

"May I come in?" he properly asked in a chuckling manner. She walked away, leaving the door opened and waving for him to follow her in. He did so and closed the door as he let himself in her apartment. As he turned back to the woman, he observed her from behind.

Her short blue hair looked like she came out of bed. She seemed slightly skinny, indicating that she must of lost weight for the last three days. Her black sweater slid off to the side, flashing one of her pale shoulders. Overall, she was quite attractive. As she strutted to the living room, he lowered his gaze to her legs. His eyes grew wide when he figured out that she was revealing too much.

"Have a seat," she turned to him, pointing to the couch. She caught is expression change into a wide-eye, flustered face.

"Is something wrong?" she questioned him with an attitude. Jumping into a conclusion, she thought that he was checking her out from behind. What a pervert! She rolled her eyes when he roughly cleared his throat.

"Um, I know you've been having a rough day, but can you please put on some pants."

She looked down to her legs and realized that she was in her underwear. She gasped and hid her womanhood with her hands in embarrassment. She ran to her room and slammed the door. She was now humiliated, and in front of a hot guy! She literally gave him a full view of her ass and to be more embarrassed, she forgot all about her pants.

She was screaming internally, shutting her mouth with her palm so she wouldn't let it out. Aqua smacked her dumb head and sighed in annoyance. She ran to her closet and pulled out white sleeve top and tight black pants. As she finished changing, she anxiously walked to the door. But before she could walk out, she caught her appearance at the floor mirror. She looked at her disheveled hair and fixed it quickly. She patted her sleepy face to wake up and circulate blood.

Now she looked better. She stepped out of her room and found the detective making himself at home. He was sitting on her white couch with his arms extended on the top of the furniture. He was staring at the small portrait on the wall which showed Aqua and Ventus hugging each other at a Christmas party. She looked so young, along with Ventus.

"Do want anything to drink?" she offered.

He quickly turned to Aqua and studied her new attire. He was relieved that she didn't change into shorts. "Water is good," he smiled. As she left to the kitchen, he went back to staring at the picture. She took out a glass from the cabinet and opened the fridge to take out the cold gallon of water. As she poured water to the glass, she looked at him from behind. He was fixated at the portrait still.

"Is he your boyfriend?" he questioned her out of nowhere.

"Why are you asking?" she wondered. Do detectives have to know everything about their life?

"Just curious," he responded in a calm manner.

"Well," she breathed out, "you're not the first person to ask. We're not together." She walked out of the kitchen with his glass of water and gave it to him. He nodded as a 'Thank You' response and started to drink the refreshing water. She sat down on the lounge chair and waited for him to speak.

"Who is he to you?" he prodded.

"If you _must _know, he's like a brother to me," she sighed. "Now, do you mind telling me what you're doing here?"

"Since you never responded to the phone messages that I sent you, I decided to come here instead," he retorted, as if he was blaming her that he had to come all the way to her apartment.

"Oh," she mouthed. "I'm sorry, it's just that I was… not in the mood to answer any phone calls."

"It's okay, I don't blame you since… you know," he comforted her a bit. "If you don't feel comfortable with answering any of my questions then I could just come another time-"

"No," she cut him off, "I'm fine now."

"Well, that's good to hear," he smiled warmly. There was something about him that made her want to smile back. This was the first smile she had ever shown and it felt great. Even if she didn't know the guy that much, that atmosphere was very comfortable and that it was nice to share a smile with him.

He took out a voice recorder out of his pockets and placed it on the coffee table. She gulped as she was preparing to gather any information that she had to give to the young detective. He knew that it would be difficult for her to recall that horrid night so he had to take it slow. He pressed the play button and commenced the interrogation.

"Aren't you a little too young to be a detective?" she wondered.

"Heh-Heh, aren't I the one asking the questions here?" he chuckled.

"Well, I think it's fair since you guys would snoop into my personal Detective," she retorted, raising her brow to see what he had to say about that.

"Let's start by recalling that night," he ignored her smart remark, "What happened?"

"I was walking to my apartment after work and I was heading to the Sunrise Café…."

* * *

After the many questions she had answered, it was finally over. All she had to do was explain that whole night in detail and the Man in Black. She gave him a full description about him; the helmet, the skin tight suit, and his insane personality. If she felt uncomfortable, he would stop and give her a moment. She couldn't help but admire his face; he was really hot and she usually wasn't interested at looking at hot guys. She was too busy with her own life that she wouldn't pay attention to her social life. Aqua was actually surprised; he seemed to be a laid back guy but when he was on detective mode, he became very serious.

"Is that it?" she wondered.

"Yup," he stood up from the comfortable couch, "Now I must tend to the other victim, so if you don't mind-"

"Wait!" she jumped up and pulled his wrist. She stopped him from leaving which surprised him. Throughout the whole interrogation, he felt that she wanted him to leave or get this questioning over with.

"I wanted to ask how Olette was doing," she hinted with a face full of concerned.

"Um, they told me that she is doing alright, but she tends to get-+ extremely nervous," he answered her very honestly. Her gaze lowered, sad that her friend has suffered more than her. Terra placed his warm palm on top of hers, trying to grab her attention. She made eye contact with him and slightly blushed.

"I'll find him," he promised her. His ocean blue orbs showed determination which told Aqua that he would do anything to arrest the killer that brought misery into her life. She felt much comforted now but still unsafe when knowing that the assaulter was still out there. He let go of her soft hand and started to make his way out the door. She followed right after him to open the door and say her farewell.

"If you need someone to talk to," he spoke out while giving her a card, "you can call me."

She nodded and grabbed the small index. He gave her another warm smile that ignited butterflies in her stomach and left. She slowly closed the door and bit her finger in delight.

"Call him anytime, huh," she murmured. She was making her way towards her room to take a shower but another knock sounded on the door.

"Man, not again," she groaned. She turned her knob and opened the door, annoyed that she would have another visitor. She really wanted to be left alone. But she didn't have a visitor this time. No one was at her door or in the hallway. Her eyes wandered around but her eyes stopped as she looked down to the floor. There was rectangular red box lying right in front of her. She grabbed it and looked around once more just in case if anyone was there.

She went inside her apartment and locked the door behind her. She walked to her living room and placed the box on her coffee table. She laid her knees on the floor and opened the box to see what was inside. She gaped at the thing inside, blinking a few times to see if it was real or not. Aqua saw that there was a small note right beside the object. She hesitantly took it and read what the little note said.

"_Remember now?" _she read it to herself. She took the object by the green root and twirled it around to see that it was a red rose that looked exactly like the ones that she had in her vase. She turned to see that the tallest rose was missing in the pile.

"The dream was… real."

* * *

**Well do you guys like it? I think I made Terra really hot! I want to thank these reviewers: Blackening Crown, xXxLone ProdigyxXx, YukiandZero, Zanzetsuken, and Lucia Tsukiyomi-hime. You guys rock and Yukiand Zero, my computer would always autocorrect my mistakes so I'm terribly sorry about my mistakes! Well see you soon!**

**REVIEWS PLEASE =))))))**


	3. Chapter 3

**JennyBlu:** **Hi guys! I'm terribly sorry that it took me long to update! But I'm here now and ready to pass this chapter to you. I must warn you though, this might kind of be a little mature, but just a little so I hope you don't mind. It's nothing serious I promise you. And also I must remind you that Ventus looks at Aqua as his sister, and that's it! On with the story =)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own KH, I'm not smart enough to think of the twists and shockers that were inserted in the game =(**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

The blue haired woman rested on her bed, holding the rose and the note tightly. She had locked all her windows and covered it all with her white curtains, letting not a peek of sunlight inside. This time she locked her door with both locks; she would usually use the top lock only.

She had a little altercation with herself in the living room. She was deciding whether or not to call the authorities, but what can they do? This cold killer just waltzed in here without her knowing and attacked her, like it was a walk in a park. How did he get in here? She did lock the door and he couldn't have entered from the window; it was too high to climb up all the way to her apartment.

If she did call for help, would he find out? He could just walk in here and slit her throat the minute she saw his glassed face. She had no choice; she had to face this man alone, with no one caring if she screamed, with no one knowing that she was crying for help. She grabbed the box from the coffee table and ran to her kitchen to throw it out, along with the rose and note.

As she took off the lid, she hesitated for a moment. What if he wanted her to keep this? He did send it to her personally so she had to hold on to it, or else. She grabbed the plant and note only and threw away the box. She shuffled to her room and locked it too, imprisoning herself once again.

And now she was lying there on her bed, gaping at the "present" he had given her. Just thinking about the killer being at her front door terrified her. He could just be few feet away from her and she wouldn't even notice. Last night he was in her home, the place where everyone should feel safe. She touched her neck, remembering how he had choked her to the edge of death. The grip felt so real, and it was.

She took the note and read it once more, "**Remember now?"**

What was she supposed to remember? Last night? She refused to recall the pain that he impacted on her. What the hell was wrong with him? She didn't want to play this game anymore; he had made her trapped inside herself. She had done nothing to him, so why torture her?

She placed the rose on her nose and inhaled the sweet aroma. The feeling of the petals on her lips made her feel nostalgic. It seemed so familiar to her. As that feeling increased, she felt her brain popping with sharp pains. She let go of the plant and rolled to her side. As she placed her hands to her head, she dug her nails in her scalp, trying to reflect the pain inside. She shut her blue eyes and started to whimper in torture.

"Stop it!" she cried.

A sudden flash appeared in her eyes, stingy with brightness as she went blind.

_**Flashback**_

"_Keep this, it's yours," the teenage boy gave her the rose. She began to blush as she grabbed the red rose. She couldn't see him clearly; it was too difficult since the atmosphere was shining bright. She caught a glimpse of the older boy's grin which made her even fluster more._

"_You said you like red roses, so I got you one," he explained._

"_W-why?" she whispered with her child-like voice._

"_It reminded me… of you."_

_**End of Flashback**_

Her blue orbs flashed open as the pain and the small memory stopped. Tears formed as she actually remembered something. Was she supposed to remember that? Why was it happening now? It had happened twice; when she grabbed the rose from the killer and now. What the hell was happening to her?

Her cell phone started to vibrate on her nightstand which had startled her a bit. She needed to talk to someone, to have someone around, so she decided to pick it up. She rose from her mattress and grabbed her blue cell. She flipped it open without looking at the caller id.

"H-Hello?" she whispered, trying not to sniffle.

"A-Aqua!?" a male voice spoke back at her.

She was surprised to hear that warm familiar voice, "Ven!?"

"Oh my gosh…" the blonde uttered, her was surprised that she picked up. He was so shock and happy that he had heard her voice once again. "You haven't answered your phone in days! You know how worried I was about you?"

"Ven…"

He started to hear her cry through the phone. She tried to hold in the tears but after she heard his words, she wanted him to be with her.

"Aqua, are you okay?" he asked with his sweet tone that she had missed.

"Ven," she cried, "C-can you please come here? I-I need someone right now."

"Where are you?" he huffed out. She heard him starting to run to her, the phone shaking against his ear.

"At my apartment," she sniffled, "Please hurry."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," he replied, "I promise!"

Then, she heard a beep sound which gave her the message that the call had ended. Cold tears were streaming down her warm cheek. The coldness started to make her sniffle louder and louder. She was breaking down; the memory had caused her emotional damage. Familiar feelings had started to develop, and it made her heart ache. She was… sad; the boy that gave her the flower made an impact on her.

But who was he? It seemed that he was really important to her if that certain memory had appeared in her mind. She wanted to know so badly; who was he, who was she? Her brain felt abused with so many questions and it had enough.

She really needed her best friend, to comfort her and tell her that everything was alright. Ventus would always give her the warmth that calmed her down and he would embrace her in the process. In his arms she felt protected, the way she only liked it. He gave his time to her, just for her, to be happy again and not upset. She loved Ven for that, period.

A banging on the door shot her thoughts aside. She felt anxious, so she ran to the door where Ventus was hiding behind. She unlocked it and flung the door open to see that it was actually him, her dear friend. Tears started to swell up as she saw that sensitive, worried face of his. She observed him carefully; he wore a soft, grey coat that was attached to him tightly and black jeans that did the same.

His thick lashes swung down and up, blinking to see a sad Aqua crying. She was in a horrible state; she had grown paler and thinner, which was clearly not how she was the last time he saw her. He really just wanted to hug the fragile woman, but he grew afraid that he might break her. But apparently, she didn't care.

"Ven!" the blue haired woman swung her arms around his body, causing him to almost lose his balance. She hid her face in his chest and clutched her hands on his strong back. He felt her shiver, begging him to embrace her so that she could feel warm. And he did; he put one arm around her waist and one around her skinny back.

For just one minute, they held each other, happy that they saw each other once again. And as she predicted, she felt safe when he gripped her tightly within his arms.

"Come on Aqua," he breathed close to her blue hair, "Let's go inside."

* * *

As she sat with Ventus on the couch, her legs on his lap and her head rested on his shoulder, she explained to him everything that had happened. She would pause for a moment due to some details that made her want to cry, but Ven would pet her blue hair to ease the pain she had been through. It was harder for him to listen to her story; he wanted to erase every pain she felt. He would clench her arm tightly whenever he heard that the man hurt his weak friend.

And she would do the same; she would dig her nails in his chest whenever she recalled the pain that the guy had caused her. Ventus felt her wet lashes brush on his neck and he told her to wipe those tears because she was okay now. The only thing that she left out was the delivery that she had received moments ago. She knew that Ven would call the police for protection, so she slipped through that small detail and just skipped to the questioning from the detective.

"I got questioned to today," she sniffled. She was finally going back to normal.

"And how'd it go?" he continued to comb through her hair. She loved how he did that; he knew that was one of the most important things to do when he caressed her.

"I'm telling you right now, it was the most awkward experience ever," she chuckled.

"Go on," he smiled, amused to hear what she had to say.

"I opened the door and right there was a tall stranger," she began, "and let me tell you, he was so good-looking."

"Aqua, this isn't the best time to be focusing on how _cute_ a guy is, let alone the man who is trying to help you," he sighed.

"Anyways," she rolled her eyes and continued, "I embarrassed myself by not realizing that I had no pants on and he was the one that told me."

"Well that's punishment for you," he teased, "instead of _focusing_ on his looks; you should focus on _wearing_ pants."

"Are you still on that?"

"Uh, yeah," he scoffed, "I hope that taught you a lesson."

"Aw, is little Ven jealous that I met a guy?"

"Ha, a guy that was probably in his fifties!"

"He was actually pretty young, maybe around _my_ age."

"Hmph," was his response.

"Well, he gave me his card in case I needed to talk to someone," she smiled.

"And you called me instead," he smiled, "You always crawl back to me."

"Actually you called me, so it's the other way around," she mewed. "He actually had a nice name, Terra."

"What?" the blonde pondered as he gripped her arm too tight. She removed her head from his shoulder and looked at the now serious Ventus. His tone made her flinch and the way he was staring at her was scary.

"What's wrong?" she blinked.

"… Nothing," he sighed, "it's just that… you shouldn't be involved with a detective."

She can tell he was lying; his voice was still cold as he answered her. She glared at him really hard, observing his poker face. He desperately tried to not grit his teeth so instead he pushed Aqua off him and stood up.

"Look," he spoke, "I gotta go."

"Ven!" she exclaimed as she stood up as well. He turned around to face her, which literally killed him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he ruffled his golden spikes, "I just really have to go, okay?"

"Please Ven," she grabbed his hand, "stay here. I really don't want to be alone right now."

Her face went to happy to desperate. The last thing she needed was to be alone in her dark apartment. She wanted him to stay with her, to make her feel safe like he usually does. She regretted ever mentioning the detective since it caused Ventus to be angry for no reason. Aqua didn't like him like that, when he stared at her so coldly, actually he _never_ glanced at her like that.

Ventus saw her blues orbs be enveloped with despair. It begged him to stay; she needed him to comfort her. It was his job, and he must do so. Seeing Aqua scared was enough to make him stay.

"Fine," he smiled, "I'll probably stay until bedtime, is that fine?"

She put on a happy expression and rushed to him for another embrace. He gave a simple "Hmph" as he held on to her once again. He was right; she would always crawl back to him.

"You're the only person I need right now," she whispered happily.

"Are you just saying that to make me feel important?"

"…Yes," she joked.

* * *

Ventus had stayed until bedtime, just as he promised. Throughout the day, they had chatted in her room, discussing what she had missed during the days of her absence. He explained to her that Olette was doing alright and that Hayner had been looking after her every day. It was funny to see how he blamed himself for everything that had happened, but it wasn't his fault. The news got better though.

Olette had decided to call in someone to look after her café, which Aqua was thrilled to hear. Ventus suggested checking it out tomorrow and she agreed. The killings had stopped but they still hadn't caught the culprit yet. Aqua already knew the answer to that. Aerith had also called in for help due to Aqua's situation. She was content that Aerith had someone there to help run the shop.

The blue haired woman couldn't wait to get out. She felt ready to leave this prison and breathe fresh air. With Ventus by her side, she felt secure to step out. But the fear was still there, hiding in her heart. She had to do this though; she was going to show him that she wasn't scared and that she was tough to take him on again (which was a lie). But she couldn't stay here forever so might as well leave tomorrow.

The two friends stayed on the bed until it was nightfall, a cue that Ventus was waiting for. He checked to see if his blue haired friend was asleep and to his luck, she was. He carefully stepped out of the bed, trying to not make any noise as he walked to the door. He took one last look at her before he left. She was sleeping peacefully, probably thinking that Ventus was still beside her. He softly smiled and left her alone in her apartment.

* * *

"Ven?" she murmured. She had fallen asleep early and didn't even know that her friend was gone already. She stretched her arms and legs, giving out a small yawn as she checked the time. It was 4:00 am, still dark out. She still had time to rest a bit but she wasn't sleepy anymore. So she decided to get up and take a hot shower because for the last few days she hadn't done anything but cradle herself on the floor.

She got up and shuffled to her bathroom. She stripped out of clothes and stepped inside the shower. As soon as she turned the faucet, she felt the hot water smash to her skin. She enjoyed the water cleansing her body which caused her to stay there for half hour. As soon as she finished her routine, she turned off the faucet and stayed in the steam.

Aqua let out a long sigh, pleased that her skin felt so much cleaner. As she tried to grab her towel, she felt the white soft fabric being handed to her. As she clenched it, she felt a strong hand. She shoved the curtains away and gasped as she saw the unexpected. He was here once again, the man in black.

She backed away and tried to hide her naked body from him. She trembled in fear, shocked that he had found a way in… again. He stepped closer to her which made her bite her lips in fear. Was she going to kill her or torture her? It was none of those options.

"As much as I like seeing you naked, can you wrap yourself around the towel?" he asked, handing her the white towel.

She blinked a few times, wondering if this was for real. She must be really dreaming this time. She stood there, shock that he wasn't going to kill, well not right now. He gave out a tired sigh, still waiting for her to grab the white fabric.

"Hey, I can wrap it around you if you like?" he offered.

She widened her eyes and in an instant she took it. She did as she was told to do and covered herself. She clutched the towel closer to her, knowing that he was still looking at her even if she couldn't see behind that dark mask.

"We need to talk."

* * *

The guy dressed in all black led her out of the bathroom which was hard. He had to convince her that he wouldn't hurt her this time so he left the bathroom first and called her out. She had no choice; she followed him out there, clenching the towel. As she stepped out, she saw him lying on her bed, as if he owned it. She stayed very far away from him which made him laugh, telling her that he wasn't going to bite unless he got really bored.

_"What's that supposed mean?" _she wondered to herself, _"Am I supposed to entertain him?"_

"So," he began the conversation, "Did you find my friend?"

"Huh?"

"Did you find her, my friend that I mentioned before," he recalled. As he said that, she knew what he was talking about. The night he hurt Olette, she asked him why he was killing people. His response:

_ "I'm looking for someone that's lost, can you help me?"_

Was he talking about that same person that was lost? Was she even supposed to look for his friend? She didn't know that she had to! He was sure going to kill her now.

"Well?" he waited for her to respond.

"I don't know who this person is," she lowered her gaze to avoid his glassed stare.

"Sure you do," he retorted back, "it's just that you forgot all about her."

"Well, maybe if you can describe her for me-"

"Jeez, I guess you need to remember more," he cut her off. He stood up from her bed and stalked closer to the pale woman. As she tried to back away slowly, he grabbed her face and stopped her from doing so. She looked at him but not his face. Actually, she looked at her own reflection.

He laughed a bit and raised his other hand to tug the top of her towel a bit. He wasn't pulling it off, but he was teasing it to make her aware that it was grabbing his attention. She flustered a bit and fought back by gripping it harder.

"Change," he commanded her. He let go of everything and stepped away for her to take action. She gave him a death glare and went her way to her closet. She picked out a black tight sweater with floral lace patterns all around and blue skinny jeans. She came out, expecting the man to leave to give her privacy, but that wasn't going to happen.

She waited there, all nervous, until he made a move to leave. He just stood there, waiting for her to change. She grew irritated, so she decided to say something.

"I need some privacy, so leave," she demanded him.

"It's not the first time that I saw you nude," he revealed with a sneaky sneer.

She stared angrily at him; what the hell did her just say? It wasn't his first time that he saw her naked? Since when did he ever saw her in the open? Her head boiled in rage, finding out that he had saw her nude was such a violation.

"You did what?!"

"Whoops, did I just say that?" he teased with such a sarcastic tone.

"You…" she paused, "you creep!"

She ran towards him and started punching him, letting go of the towel. She didn't care much of being in the nude anymore; he did saw her like this before right? Her punches didn't cause any pain to him, it actually didn't bother him. He laughed at her attempt to hurt him; he actually enjoyed it.

"Cute," he simply uttered. He took her wrist into a grip and pulled her closer to his body, towering over her. She tried to get out of his tight grasp but he didn't budge, he was too strong. Whenever she tried to slither out of his grip, he would tighten it more, causing her whimper as she felt the bruises developing under his fingers.

He made his move by pushing her to the bed, trapping her under his heavy weight. She grunted, trying to kick him off to escape and run as far away as possible. She cried as she couldn't get away. The only thing on her mind now was what was he going to do to her now? It was clear to her that this guy could have the intention of touching her inappropriately. As he straddled himself on her, she knew that it was all over.

"What do you want from me!?" she rasped.

"I want her," he whispered, "I want her to be with me again, but she's lost."

"I can't help you with that!" she yelled at him to get the picture. She didn't know who was his friend so how can she find her? Why did she need to search for her in the first place?

"Yes you can," he told her, "I know you can."

He slid his glass helmet a bit, just enough to show his mouth. She gasped as she saw his grin, that grin that looked so… familiar. Her head started to hurt as she started to remember something. A quick flash appeared as she stared at someone with the same grin as the killer has. She couldn't peek at the face, just like she couldn't peek at the killer's face. But what she could see was someone with amber eyes and skin as pale as snow.

The flash had stopped and she was back to the matter at hand. He was still on top of her, getting into her personal space. He placed his hand on her soft cheek and caressed it gently. He lowered his face to hers, breathing her beautiful scent. She shut her eyes and moaned as he licked her neck up to her cheek. After, he started to sniff her as if he couldn't get enough.

"You're the only one that can find her," he emitted softly to her ear. With that said he kissed her warm cheek and got off of her. He slid his mask down and grabbed the fallen towel for which he threw at her body to cover herself. She took it and wrapped herself before he could take another glance at her. She trembled ridiculously, not believing that his actions weren't as sick as she thought it would be.

Aqua's eyes followed him as he walked out towards the balcony, opening the double glass doors which blasted in the cold morning winds. Before he was going to jump off the balcony, he took one last look at the shaken woman.

"I'll be watching you," he spoke, "… Aqua."

She gasped, witnessing that he walked to the edge and fall out of her sight. She ran towards the outside and looked down the streets. He was out of sight, nowhere to be found. She stood there in the cold, awed that he had just said that he would be watching her. The way he said her name was revolting, he had no right to call her that.

There was one thing that he was useful for though; whenever she was near him, she would remember something. Maybe, it wasn't from her past but maybe it was something that helped her gain her memories. One thing was for sure, she had to continue to see him, she had no choice or say in this. But, it was okay; maybe he could help her… just a bit. But, was it a cost for her life?

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**I'm so sorry if that was short but I will make up for it in the next chapter! Can anyone guess who this guy's friend is? I bet you can't hahaha! I'm starting to miss Terra so I hope I get to put him in the next chapter! Thank for reviewing and for reading: YOU GUYS ROCK! **

**YOU KNOW THE DRILL NOW; REVIEW PLEASE AND I WILL SEE YOU SOON =)**


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